Achilles Vs Beowulf Essay

Words: 527
Pages: 3

Hero

“In a society that refuses to recognize true heroes, the heroes can speak but they won’t be heard, they can act but they won’t be acknowledged” (Scheske 2). Heroes have evolved from mythical stories to famous people. Many people forget about the true heroes who’s names may never be known. Beowulf is an important hero because in the story he saves an entire town from monsters. Achilles is also important because he goes toe to toe with his enemy and wins. Achilles and Beowulf are both heroes, but in separate ways.

Achilles is the greatest warrior in the Greek army while Beowulf is also a warrior who defeats monsters across the land. Achilles is the son of Thetis, the goddess of water, and is one of the greatest warriors in Greek mythology. Helen was captured by the Trojans which caused the Greeks to enter war with them. He stayed in the ships while the war waged on until his friend Patroclus is killed by Hector, the brother of Paris. This causes Achilles to challenge him to battle outside the gates of Troy. This results in Achilles killing Hector and dragging his body around the city. Similarly, Beowulf is a savior of many people. He comes to the aid of Hrothgar who’s town is terrorized by Grendel. He then defeates Grendel and his mother in her lair. Then, after becoming King of the Geats, Beowulf slays a dragon but dies in the process. In the end, Achilles and Beowulf are both warriors with similar
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Achilles shows courage when he challenges Hector, the Trojan’s best warrior. Similarly Beowulf shows courage by facing Grendel who killed many people. They also both show leadership. Achilles does this when he leads the men into battle and they show their heavy trust in him. We see leadership in Beowulf when he gains the trust of the people after slaying Grendel and becoming the king. They have similarities in leadership and courage but are not entirely